Inside storm window



May 30, 1933. F R LARGE 1,911,232

INSIDE STORM WINDOW Filed April 23, 1932 25 I INVENTO/c Hal 7?. L aye L 16 Q 2 T77; r

A rum/v5 Y latentecl May 30, 1933 FRED R. LARGE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK INSIDE STORM wmnow Application filed April 23, 1932. Serial No. 607,147.

This invention relates to improvements in storm windows, and has for its principal object the provision of a storm window for use on the inside of a conventional window and cooperating therewith to form a dead air space.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a. storm window of this kind which is so constructed of flexible, substantially 1O transparent material that it can be wound on a roller when not in use.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a storm window of flexible material which is so constructed that its side 5 portions normally flex into close substantially air-tight engagement with the sides of the window frame,.means being provided for positively flexing it into substantially air-tight engagement with the top and hottom of the window frame.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a window of this kind with a spring-driven roller on which it is automatically-wound when not in use, and means for retaining it in operative or extended position over the inside of the window against the tension of said spring-driven roller, said means being operative to press the lower;

end of the storm window into engagement therewith to form a substantially air-tight connection between them.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the inside of a conventional window showing one possible application of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken substantially in the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow at said line;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of thesame taken substantially in the plane of line 3--3 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow at said line;

and on the inside of the window.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged View of the spring roller for .the storm window, a part being sectioned away to expose the interior;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, somewhat enlarged, of a lower corner of the window frame showing the means for pressing the lower end of the storm window into engagemcnt therewith;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the same, taken substantially in the plane of line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows at said line, and

F igq7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the means for resiliently pressing the upper end of the storm window into engagement with the window frame.

Referring particularly to the drawing, a window is shown of usual or preferred construction comprising a frame having a top member 1, a bottom member 2, and a pair of side members 3 and 4., A window comprising upper and lower sash 5 and G is mounted in the frame and closes the opening therein with a substantially air-tight fit.

The improved storm window comprises a sheet or pane 7 of transparent flexible material of any well known cellulose compound, of asize and shape to overlap and engage the window frame on all sides at-its outer 8o edges to cooperate therewith to form a substantially dead air space with the window At its upper end or top, it is secured to a. springdriven roller 8 of well known construction, which is operative to wind the window thereon under the tension of its spring when the window is not in use. At one end, said roller has a pivot projecting therefrom which has a bearing in a. bracket 9 secured to the window frame. The roller is counterbored at its other end to provide. an opening 11 therein for a rod 'or shaft 12 on which a spring 13 is coiled. Fixed to the roller by screws'or other suitable means and seated in the open end of the opening 11 to close the same is a bushing 14 in which the shaft 12 has a bearing. The shaft 12 projects from the end of the roller through a bushing 14 and engages a bracket 15 in which it is supported but fixed against rotation ber 4. Threaded on the outer end of the bolt 22 is a butterfly nut 25 whereby the retherein. By this arrangement, the roller 8 is revoluble in the bracket 9 at one end and turns on the fixed shaft 12 at its other end. The brackets 9 and 15 are fixed to opposite sides of the window frame above the opening therein so that the upper end of the storm window 7 is mounted above the opening substantially parallel with its upper end,

and spaced inwardly from but adjacent the upper window frame member 1.

A spring 13 is anchored at its inner end to the inner end of the fixed rod 12 and its free end is secured to the roller 8 or the bushing 14 secured thereto. If the storm window 7 is wound on the roller 8 and the roller mounted in the brackets 9 and 15, when the storm'window 7 is pulled down over the window frame, the spring 13 is wound on the fixed rod 12 and tensioned so that when the free end of the window is released, the spring reacts to turn the roller on the rod 12 and rewinds the storm window thereon.

Means are provided at or adjacent the lower end of the window frame to be detachably engaged with the lower free end of the storm window 7 when it is in the extended or lowered position over the window frame, shown in Fig. 1. To thisend, a

rod or bar 16 is secured to or in the lower end of the storm window and at its ends projects laterally therefrom over the side members 3 and 4 of the window frame. Secured to the side members 3 and 4 at or adjacent their lower ends is a pair of retain ing members 17 arranged in the path of the laterally projecting portions of the rod 16 and provided with means for engaging said rod to retain the window in the lowered or operative position against the tension of the spring 13.

Since the members 17 are similar in all respects, only one will be described in detail. Referring particularly to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing in which one of said retaining members is illustrated in detail, it will be seen to comprise an elongated plate member or escutcheon 18 preferably of sheet material arranged with its longer dimension in a vertical plane, and secured to the frame member 4 at or adjacent its endsby means of screws or other suitable means. Intermediate its ends, said plate is bent outwardly to provide a portion 19 spaced from the frame member 4 and provided with a vertically arranged elongated slot 21. Arranged in this slot is a headed screw or bolt 22. An elongated resilient retaining member or keeper 23 has an opening adjacent one end whereby it is arranged on the bolt 22 in contact with the front face of the escutcheon 18. The member 23 projects downwardly and forwardly from the plate 18 and then outwardly and upwardly at 24, and at its free end engages the frame memtaining member 23 is secured to the escutcheon and its outer free end resiliently engaged with the inner side of the frame member 4.

Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawing, it will be noted that the bar 16 is constructed with a thin or relatively sharp upper edge from which its front and rear sides incline away from each other, forming athickened portion at -its lower side. When the storm window 7 is in its extended or operative positionshown, the projecting ends of the rod 16 are engaged between the outer parts 24 of the keepers 23 and the frame members 3 and 4 and retained thereby against the tension of the spring 13. The outwardly and upwardly inclined parts 24 of the resilient members 23 engage the downwardly and inwardly inclined face of the rod and serve to press it resiliently outward into engagement withthe window frame members 3 and 4 and the bottom member 2 arranged between them. The storm window 7, in the lower end of which the rod 16 is secured, is also pressed into substantially air-tight engagement with the window frame. In order to seal or secure a substantially airtight engagement between the lower end of the storm window and the window frame, a strip 26 of compact fibrous material, such as felt, is secured preferably by means of a suitable adhesive to the thickened lower edge of the rod 16 or the storm window material thereon, so as to closely engage the lower frame member 2 when said window is in its extended operative position shownin the drawing. 1

Means are also provided for pressing the upper edge of the storm window into a close, substantially air-tight engagement with the upper window frame member 1; however, it is unnecessary to seal the upper end, since the cold air in the air space has no tendency to rise against the warm air in the room. To this end, a roller 27 is revolubly mounted in the brackets 9 and 15 and extends across the upper end of the window frame substantially parallel with the inner side of the frame member 1 and spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the storm window 7. From the springdriven roller 8 the window 7 is led outwardly and downwardly to the roller 27 and between it and the inner wall of the frame member 1 which it closely engages by reason of the proximity thereto of the roller 27, to form a substantially air-tight connection therewith. The window 7 is so constructed of material which is more or less resilient that its side edges normally tend to curl or turn outwardly as at 28 into close engagement with the side members 3 and 4 of the window frame to form a substantially air-tight connection therewith.

In order to permit free movementof the storm window between the roller 27 and window frame, the roller has a bearing at its ends in elongated slots in ears 29 projecting forwardly from the brackets 9 and 15, said elongated slots being arranged substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the storm window. The ends of the bearings project laterally from the ears 29 and at their ends are engaged by springs 30 secured to the brackets and tending to. press the roller outwardly toward the inner side of the window frame. The springs 30 are relatively weaker than the spring 13 so that when the storm window is moved'against the tension of the latter they yield to permit the storm window to move inwardly away from the window frame, so that it may move freely without injury thereto.

It will be noted that an inside storm window constructed as herein described may be mounted on the window frame at the inside of the usual glass window and between it and the usual window shade 31, and is movable to and from operative position independently of either. It closely engages the window frame on all sides so as to form an insulating dead air space with the frame and the window mounted therein. When not required, it is only necessary to disengage the rod 16 from the resilient keepers 23, when the spring 13 becomes operative to turn the roller 8. and roll the window 7 thereon until free from over the opening in the window frame and its rod 16 engages the roller 27 or the ears 29.

In use, a storm window such as described herein sometimes stretches unevenly on its opposite sides so that the longer side has a tendency to gap away from the window frame. The difference in the length of the opposite sides resulting from such stretching is not great but suflicient to release the longer side from the resiliency of the spring 13 when the rod 16 is retained in a position parallel with the roller 8. To compensate for this possible difference in the length of the sides of the window, one or the other of the keepers 23 may be adjusted toward or from the roller 8 by turning the butterfly nut to release it from the escutcheon, when the bolt 18 may be moved in. itsv slot with the keeper toward or from the roller and again secured in adjusted position by means of the butterfly nut.

A window such as 7 made of transparent material does not change the usual appearance of the window from within nor does it reduce the volume of light admitted by the window. If desired, however, the window can be made of frosted material so as to be used as a combined storm window and shade, or it could be made of colored material for the purpose of giving delicate colors to the light admitted to the interior. If desired, fine threads may be arranged in the material of the curtain to run longitudinally thereof for the purpose of reinforcing it against the action of the spring 13.

Although only-one embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it will be understoodthat this application is intended to cover such changes or modifications thereof as come within the spirit of side, means for mounting the storm window on the window frame for movement to and from an operative position arranged on the inner side of the window frame and spaced from the window said means acting const'antly to exert tension on the storm window, and resilient means located on opposite sides at the bottom of the window frame cooperating with the lower end of the storm window for retaining it in the operative position and acting to press it into engagement with the inner side of the frame.

2. The combination with a window frame having a window therein, of a flexible substantially transparent storm window arranged on the inner side of said window and coo crating therewith and with the frame to orm a dead air space on its inner side, a roller at the top of the window frame on which the storm window is mounted, resilient means for turning said roller to wind the window thereon, saidmeans constantly exerting tension on the storm window, and means at the bottom of the window frame at opposite sides thereof for detachably engaging the lower end of the storm window, said means acting to retain it against the tension of said resilient means stretched over the opening in the window frame and to force it against the inner wall the frame, and means at the top of the frame for pressing the storm window into engagement with the inner wall of the top of the frame.

3. The combination with a window frame having a window. therein, of a flexible substantially transparent storm window ar-' ranged on the inner sideof said window and cooperating therewith and with the frame to form a dead air space on its inner side, a roller at the top of the window frame on which the storm window is mounted, resilient means acting constantly to turn said roller to wind the storm window thereon, an-

idle roller engaging said storm window at the top of the window frame for pressing it into engagement with the inner side thereof, means at' opposite sides on the window 5 frame adjacent its lower end for detachably engaging the lower end of the storm window and retaining it in operative position stretched over the opening in the window against the tension of said resilient means, and a pad of fibrous material on the lower end of the storm window for engaging the window frame to seal the opening between the lower end of the opening and the frame.

4. The combination with a window frame having a window therein, of a flexible substantially transparent storm window on the inner side of said .window, a roller at the upper end of the window frame to which one end of the storm window is secured, resilient means acting constantly to turn said roller to wind the storm window thereon, an idle roller at the upper end of the window frame and normally spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the storm window and arranged to guide it and press it into engagement with the window frame, a rod mounted in the lower end of the storm window and having its ends projecting from the sides thereof, and resilient keepers adjacent the lower end of the frame at opposite sides and in the path of said projecting ends of the rod and cooperating therewith to retain the storm window in extended operative position against the tension of said resilient means, said keepers acting to press the rod and the transparent storm window against the inner wall of the frame.

The combination with a window frame having a window therein, of a flexible substantially transparent storm window on the inner side of said Window, said storm window being formed of resilient material flexed outwardly at its sides so as to engage the sides of the window frame, means for engaging the upper end of the storm window with the upper part of the window frame, a resilient pad on the lower end of the storm window a rod mounted in the lower end of the storm window and having its ends projecting beyond the sides thereof, and means at opposite sides of the bottom of the frame cooperating with the ends of said rod for pressing the lower end of the storm window into engagement with the inner side of the window frame and retaining said pad resiliently engaged with the window frame.

6. The combination with a window frame having a window therein, of a flexible substantially transparent storm window on the inner side of said window, a roller at the upper end of the window frame to which one end of the storm window is secured, resilient means acting constantly to turn said roller to wind the storm window thereon a rod mounted in the lower end of the storm window and having its ends projecting beyond the sides thereof, resilient keepers adsigned my name.

FRED R. LARGE. 

